Tuesday, May 27, 2014

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
(Applause.) Thank you so much. Please be seated. Thank you, Secretary Hagel,
for your introduction and for your lifetime of service -- from a young Army
sergeant in Vietnam to our nation’s 24th Secretary of Defense.

Vice President Biden, Jill, Chairman Dempsey,
Major General Buchanan, Patrick Hallinan, Chaplain Brainerd; to our men and
women in uniform here and around the world; to our outstanding veterans; and,
most of all, to the Gold Star families here to remember the loved ones you’ve
lost: Michelle and I are humbled and honored to commemorate this Memorial Day
with you.

Every year, this ceremony marks another page
in the life of our nation -- this year in particular, as we recognize the 150th
anniversary of this holy space, Arlington National Cemetery. One hundred and
fifty years ago, war raged on hillsides and farmlands not far from where we
gather today. A nation ill-prepared for war found itself overwhelmed with the
task of burying so many of its sons. So we declared upon this hill a final
resting place for those willing to lay down their lives for the country that we
love. And on a spring day in 1864, Private William Christman of Pennsylvania
was the first American to find eternal rest on these
grounds.

Over that century and a half, in times of
war, in times of peace, Americans have come here -- to pay tribute not only to
the loved ones who meant the world to them, but to all our heroes, known and
unknown. Here, in perfect military order, lie the patriots who won our freedom
and saved the Union. Here, side-by-side, lie the privates and the generals who
defeated fascism and laid the foundation for an American Century. Here lie the
Americans who fought through Vietnam, and those who won a long twilight struggle
against communism. And here, in Section 60, lie men and women who gave their
lives to keep our homeland safe over more than a decade of war in Iraq and
Afghanistan.

Early this morning, I returned from
Afghanistan. Yesterday, I visited with some of our men and women serving there
-- 7,000 miles from home. For more than 12 years, men and women like those I
met with have borne the burden of our nation’s security. Now, because of their
profound sacrifice, because of the progress they have made, we’re at a pivotal
moment. Our troops are coming home. By the end of this year, our war in
Afghanistan will finally come to end. (Applause.) And yesterday at Bagram, and
here today at Arlington, we pay tribute to the nearly 2,200 American patriots
who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. We will honor them,
always.

Today, in small towns across America, in
cemeteries throughout our country and around the world, and here on these solemn
hillsides, the families of our fallen share stories of the lives they led. Our
hearts ache in their absence. But our hearts are also full -- full in knowing
that their legacy shines bright in the people that they loved the most. Through
almost unimaginable loss, these families of the fallen have tapped a courage and
resolve that many of us will never know. And we draw comfort and strength from
their example.

We draw strength from the promise of their
children. Today, Michelle and Jill are with 200 brave boys and girls whose
parents gave everything they had in service to their
country.

They were mothers and fathers like Staff
Sergeant Michael Cardenaz, who gave his life in Afghanistan four years ago. The
years since have been hard for Michael’s family. And yet, with the love of
their mother, Macarena, his three youngest daughters have displayed a strength
beyond their years.

Mariella, the oldest of the three, has become
a mentor to other children who’ve lost their parents. Mariliz, the middle girl,
was used to her dad carrying her everywhere when she was little; now 7, she
shepherds her little sister, Marianna. And Marianna, who was just a baby when
her dad was deployed, is starting to understand what it means that her daddy
served his country. Mariella, Mariliz, and Marianna are here today. And we say
to you -- and to all these courageous children -- your parents’ bravery lives on
in you. You will never walk alone. Your country will be there to help you grow
up into the young men and women your parents always knew you would be. And
that’s our pledge to you. (Applause.)

We draw strength as well from the love of the
spouses of the fallen. Sergeant First Class Joseph Gantt was a young man but
already a veteran of World War II when he met Clara Edwards on a train headed to
California. He spent two years courting Clara before she finally agreed to
marry him. Then, when Joseph deployed to Korea, he told his young wife to
remarry if he didn’t come back. She told him no. He had a hard enough time
getting her to say yes in the first place, she said. (Laughter.) He had waited
two years for her; she’d wait as long as it took for him to come home.

When Joseph went missing in action, Clara
waited -- she waited 63 years. Meanwhile, our country continued to work to
bring home the missing from all our wars. And then, last December -- last
December -- his remains finally identified, Joseph returned home to be laid to
rest. Clara never remarried during those 63 years. And now 96 years old, she
was there to welcome him home. And we are honored to have Clara Gantt here with
us today. Clara. (Applause.)

We also draw strength from the parents who
have given their sons and daughters to America.

Earlier this year, in my State of the Union
address, I spoke of the remarkable story and grueling recovery of Sergeant First
Class Cory Remsburg, who was severely injured by a massive roadside bomb in
Afghanistan. And when he stood, there in the balcony, it reminded our entire
nation that we are blessed to be protected by patriots like him. But that was
only part of the story. Today, I want to close with the story of Cory’s
brother-in-arms, Sergeant Roberto Sanchez, who was killed by that same
explosion.

Rob wasn’t a big guy, but his mother, Wendy,
remembers that he was “larger than life” -- always surrounded by friends and
melting hearts with a devastating smile. Rob admired the Army from a young
age. He dressed up as a soldier the first time he went out for Halloween -- and
for many Halloweens after that. He meticulously arranged and rearranged G.I.
Joes on his bedroom floor. And when he watched the Twin Towers fall that awful
September day, Rob found his calling to serve his country. A proud Army Ranger
who took care of his fellow soldiers just as he did his own family, he’d tell
Wendy, “Mom…I’m your Superman.”

In October 2009, Rob was on his fifth
deployment, and Rob and Cory were finishing a mission with their fellow Rangers
in Kandahar. And that’s when the bomb went off. And that’s when this American
family made a sacrifice the depths of which few of us will ever truly
comprehend.

In the years since, Wendy has dug deep to
find the strength to live without Rob. She keeps in touch with Cory, who she
finally had a chance to meet and spend some time with this past week -- sharing
their memories of Rob. She runs half marathons. She and her husband pour their
hearts into raising their youngest son, Logan, who she says wants to be just
like Rob -- which she knows means she’ll probably send another son into military
service.

Today, Wendy is watching this ceremony from
home near Indianapolis, on a Memorial Day in America that has been made safe by
her son’s sacrifice. And every day, when she looks at the old photo of her and
Rob that sits on her dresser, she’s reminded that although he is gone, he will
always inspire her -- and will always be her Superman.

For the parents who have lost a child, for
the husbands and wives who’ve lost a partner, for the children who have lost a
parent, this day, and this place, are solemn reminders of the extraordinary
sacrifice they have made in our name. But today reminds us as well that for
these family [sic] and for their comrades-in-arms, their service to our nation
endures. There are few who truly understand what it means to send a child into
war, or to watch a battle buddy give his life to save others. On this Memorial
Day, and every day, these are the families and veterans we’re sworn to look
after.

And so here, on these hallowed grounds, we
rededicate ourselves to our sacred obligations to all who wear America’s
uniform, and to the families who stand by them always: That our troops will
have the resources they need to do their job. That our nation will never stop
searching for those who’ve gone missing or are held as prisoners of war. That
-- as we’ve been reminded in recent days -- we must do more to keep faith with
our veterans and their families, and ensure they get the care and benefits and
opportunities that they’ve earned and that they deserve. These Americans have
done their duty. They ask nothing more than that our country does ours -- now
and for decades to come. (Applause.)

The fallen patriots we memorialize today gave
their last full measure of devotion. Not so we might mourn them, though we do.
Not so that our nation might honor their sacrifice, although it does. They gave
their lives so that we might live ours -- so that a daughter might grow up to
pursue her dreams; so that a wife might be able to live a long life, free and
secure; so that a mother might raise her family in a land of peace and freedom.
Everything that we hold precious in this country was made possible by Americans
who gave their all. And because of them, our nation is stronger, safer, and
will always remain a shining beacon of freedom for the rest of the world.

May God bless the fallen and all those who
serve. May God watch over their families. And may God continue to bless the
United States of America.